Nonlubricated bearing



Jan 6, 1931 G.' E. BIGELow ETAL 1,787,810

NONLUBRICATED BEARING Filed March s1, 1930 20/ imm:

ffnuul I;

[N VEN Toms;

Patented Jan. 6, 1931 UNi'rED STATES GEORGE E. BIGELOW, F SAOUTHGATE, AND ARTHUR R. WEIS, Gli' HUNTINGTON IPARIKyl PATENT oFFIcE CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOES T0 PACIFIC PUMP WORKS, 0F HUNTINGTONYIPARK, CALI- FORNIA, A CORPORATIDN OF CALIFORNIA NONLUBRICATED BEARING application mea March a1, 1930. serial No. 440,237.

pOur 'invention relates to bearings, vand l morel particularly to an improved bearing conditions.

ing segments formed ofwood for journalling a rotating shaft, these' segments being suitably secured in a retaining structurel usually by being pressed tightly into openings thereof. When such segments are imy pregnated with a lubricant, such as oil, they serve as a very successful, bearing means for a rotating shaft, unless subjected to yadverse The adverse condition most frequently encountered is that of moisture, and it has heretofore beenrimpossible to install such a bearing with a close shaft clearance due to the fact that moisture will cause eX- pansion or swelling and will make the bearving segments bind the shaft. This defect hasprevented the use of this type of bearing in many installations where lit would otherwise be very desirable.

It is an object of our invention to provide a bearing structure having 'a bearing seg' ment which is expansible under adverse conditions, but which will vnot bind the shaft or materially change its journalling relationship relative to the shaft under suchl adverse yconditions.'

This we accomplish by `so mounting the segmentrelative to a retainer that it may freely expand in oneidirection, but so that it is restrained from expansion in another- -21 so as to be capable of being tightly pressed direction and alsoin a radial direction.

c It is an object of the invention to provide a mounting for a bearingsegment which permits expansion thereof in at least one direc- A further object of the invention is to provide a retainerhaving a relatively long openingtherein in whichis retained a bearing segment, the length lof the bearing segment less thanthe length of the opening. further object of the invention is to provide an improved bearing structure requir- V'ing no lubrication subsequent to installation. F urtherobjects and advantages of the invention'fwill be evident hereinafter.

The preferred embodiment of the inven- -tion is disclosed in the drawing, wherein- Fig. 1 is a view, partially in section, of our bearing structure.

Fig. 2 is a view taken on the line 2--2 of Fig 1.

Y Referring particularly to these figures, the numeral 10 represents a supporting means of any suitable construction, this supporting means including an opening bounded by an inner cylindrical face 11. Adapted to extend in bronze retainer 15 providing an outer cylindrical face 16 which is only slightly less in diameter than the diameter of the inner cylindrical face 11 so that the retainer 15 may -be held in the supporting means l0 by being pressed thereinf The retainer 15 provides an inner cylindrical face 17 which is slightly larger in diameter than the diameter of a shaft 18 which is to be-journalled by the bearing structure. The retainer 15 has a plurality of rectangular openings 20 formedtherein each of these vopenings being preferably formed so as to extend radially through the retainer 15 andl providing parallel side walls 21.

Adapted to be retained in each of the openings'2O is a bearing'segment 25 formed of wood or other material which is capable of journalling the shaft 18. We prefer to form these bearing segments of a relatively hard wood, such as maple or lignum-vitee', each segment being formedof a widthsubstantially equal to thefdistance between the side walls therein, theend grain of 'this bearing segmentengagjng the periphery of the shaft 18. It is desira` le to curve the inner ends of these bearing segments to form'arcuate surfaces 27 corresponding in curvature to the shaft 18.

It is similarly desirable to form the outerv ends of the bearing segments 25 to correspond to correctly journal the shaft 18. The clearance between the shaft 18 and the bearing segments is usually made not greater than several thousandths of an inch.

A very important feature of the invention lies in the fact that the length of each bearing segment 25 is less than the length of the opening 20 in which it is retained. This is best illustrated in Fig. 1, which shows a clearance space 29 formed between an end wall 30 of the opening and the end of the bearing segment 25. The difference in length between the bearing segment and its associated openingv is usually made in the neighborhood of one-sixteenth of a'n inch with a bearing segment approximately four inches in len h, although it should be understood that this ratio is not invariable, certain woods requiring more space for expansion than do others.

When such a bearing structure is subjected to adverse conditions wherein the bearing segments 25 tend to expand or swell, 4these segments will expand longitudinally inasniuch as they are retained from swelling transversely by the side walls 21. By utilizing the end grain of the wood for journalling I the shaft 18 the tendency toward expansion in a radial direction is almost eliminated. However, if this .clearance space is not used and the bearing segments are retained from movement in more than one direction, any swelling thereof invariably tends to bind the shaft 18. This is due to the fact that a body subjected to forces in two directions will tend to expand in a thirddirection, usually perpendicularto the forces. Such an expansion in a third direction we have vtermed a coinpressive expansion. VIt has heretofore been impossible to utilize such bearings due to this binding diihculty, but actual tests have proved that the bearing structure herein disclosed is not materially affected-by moisture in so far as binding is concerned.

We prefer to suitably impregnate the bearing segments with oil or other lubricant prior to the time they are positioned in the retainer 15, this being accomplished by pressure or vacuum means well known in the art. By forming these bearing segments so that they extend inside the inner cylindrical face 17, there is formed a plurality of lubricantretaining spaces 35 which are preferably filled with a hard lubricant when the bearing is first installed. Such a. bearing will run indefinitesite ends if desired. Furthermore, while wel have shown the walls 21 as being parallel, this detail of construction is not essential to our invention, for diverging or converging walls might also be utilized. iurthermore, while we have shown the major axis of the 'openings 20 as being parallel to the axis of the 'shaft 18, this is not essential to the present invention. This major axis may extend around the shaft18 in the form of a helix or may lie in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the shaft 18. The construction illustrated is, however, the cheapest and most practical when it is desired to journal a rotating shaft.

We claim as our invention:

1. In a bearing structurevfor journalling a shaft and capable of correctly journalling said shaft under adverse conditions: a retainer providing elongated'openings having side walls and end walls; and a bearing segment pressed into each of said openings and v formed of wood with the end grain contacting said shaft, the width of each bearing segment being such as to form a press fit with said side walls of said opening in which it is positioned, the length of said bearing segment being shorter than the distance bef tween .said end walls of said opening in which it is ypositioned to permit expansion thereof under said adverse condition in a direction Y along the length of said elongated opening.

2. In abearing structure for journalling a shaft under adverse conditions: a retainer providing outer and inner cylindrical faces and a plurality of radially extendin A elongated openings communicating 'wit said faces said elongated openings extending entirely through the retainer; a bearing segment ineach 'of said openings, each bearing segment being formed of wood which expands under said adverse conditions and providing an end-grained face extending inward beyond said inner cylindrical face to engage the periphery of said shaft, and providing an opposite arcuate face shaped tooconform to and be Hush with said outer cylindrical face, each bearing segment being saturated with a lubricant and formed of a width snugly ittingits associated opening and of a length slightly less than the length-of its associated opening so as to permit longitudinal expansion; and means extending around said retainer and said bearing segments in clampin relationship to prevent any' substantial ra ial movement of said bearing segments,

`ing a plurality face corresponding in curvature to said external cylindrical face of said retainer and to the arcuate faces of said bearing segments.

3.' In a bearing structure adapted to journal a surface, the combination of: side walls and end walls defining an opening communieating with said surface; a wooden bearing segment positioned in said opening and providing an engaging face journalling said surface and presenting the end grain of the wood to said surface, said wooden bearing segment being of a width snugly fitting betweensaid side walls and being of a length less than the distance between said end walls to allow expansion thereof toward said end walls without binding said surface; a wall closing the bottom of said opening and resisting any tendency of s aid bearing segment to substantially move away from said surface.

4. In a bearing structure adapted to journal a shaft, the combination of: a lunitary retainer surrounding said shaft and providof openings each of which provides opposed side walls, said retainer providing an. internal cylindrical face slightly larger in diameter .than said shaft to form an annular space therebetween, said openings opening on said internal cylindrical face; `a bearing segment formed of a material which under adverse conditions expands little along 4 a given axis, but expands greater in directions perpendicular'to said given axis, one of lsaid bearing segments being positioned in p veach of said openings 1n a press fit with manner to form a the side walls thereof, each bearing segment being inserted 1n its associated opening so that said given axis is l, radial with respect to said shaft whereby any formed .expaiisionof said segment in a direction perpcndicular to said given axis is made to take place along said' opening; and a wall to the rear of said opening for preventing stantial movement of said bearing segment in said opening ina directionaway from said shaft.

5. In a bearing structure adapted to journal a shaft, the combination of: a supporting means providing an inner cylindrical face; a retainer providing an outer cylindrical surface snugly engaging said innerycylindrical face and providing a plurality of openings, each of which provides opposed side walls, said retainer providing an internalcylindrical face slightly larger in diameter than said shaft to form an annular space therebetween on which said openings open; and a wooden bearing segment in each of said openings and forming a press fit between said .side walls, but being slidable along the length of said openings when subjected to moisture, thevend grain of said wooden bearing segments engaging said shaft, each of said bearing segments'being. formed with a rear face corresponding in curvature to said outer cylidrical surface and being flush therewith so as to abut against said inner cylindrical face of said supporting means.

In testimony whereof, we have hereuntoany subnal a surface, the combination of: side walls and end walls defining an opening communicatingwith said surface; a bearing segment of a material which under adverse conditions expands only ininutely .along a c given axis but which expands substantially greater in-directions perpendicular to said given axis, said bearing segment being positioned in .said opening and forming a press it with the side walls thereof but being shorter in length than the distance between said end walls whereby no compressive expansion is set up when said bearing segment is subjected to said adverse condition; and awall closing the bottoni of said opening and preventingany substantial movement of said bearing segment in a direction away from said shaft. /f/" A 6. In a bearing structure adapted to jourv CERTIFICATE oF CORRECTION'.

Patent No.r 1,787, 810. Granted January 6, 1931, to

GEORGE E. BIGELOW and ARTHUR R. WEIS.

It is hereby certified that the above numbered patent was erroneosiy issued to "Pacific Pump Works, of Huntington Park, California, @corporation-of'Calif forniti", as assignee of the entire interest: in said invention, whereasfsaidlp'a'tnt should have been issued to the inventors said Bigelow and Weis, and Paific APump Works, of Huntington Park, California, a corporation of California, said corporation being assignee of one-half interest only in said invention, as shown by the records of assignments in this office; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 10th day oi February, A. D. 1931.

M. '1. Moore,

(Seal) A Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

